The Gloster Meteor will be grounded and put on static display in Temora. Photo: Gavin Conroy via ADF.
The Royal Australian Air Force has announced it will permanently retire eight of its historical aircraft types from its heritage fleet based primarily at Temora.
The aircraft – operated by 100 Squadron – will be retired after the Air Force conducted what it calls a comprehensive review of technical and airworthiness factors to ensure the squadron remains safe, sustainable, and connected to Air Force history.
The aircraft to be withdrawn include the DH-115 Vampire T.35, Gloster Meteor F.8, Cessna A-37B Dragonfly, Ryan STM-S2, English Electric Canberra, CA-27 Sabre, PAC CT4A, and the RE8.
In a 15 January statement, the Air Force said the aircraft would be “transitioned with dignity”, with five of them to remain on permanent static display at the Temora Aviation Museum (TAM), and the other three to be “considered for static display at approved institutions”.
Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell said the review was essential to balancing heritage preservation with operational safety.
“Our heritage fleet holds deep significance to Air Force and the Australian public,” he said.
“While withdrawing aircraft is never easy, this step ensures we preserve aviation history responsibly.
“By transferring these aircraft to museums and heritage organisations, their stories of service and innovation will remain accessible for future generations.”
The release says that, as the aircraft age, their upkeep for flying displays becomes “increasingly complex”. It says reducing the fleet will allow 100 Squadron to focus on operating a select group of historic aircraft for ceremonial duties and flying displays.
Many of the aircraft, including the Canberra, Meteor, Vampire, A-37B, and Sabre – all of which are jet-powered – were previously owned and safely operated by TAM on civil airworthiness certificates.
These and seven other aircraft were transferred from TAM to the RAAF in July 2019, and 100 Squadron was re-established in 2021 as part of the RAAF’s 100th anniversary celebrations to operate the aircraft at Temora and others based at Point Cook in Victoria.
But difficulties in operating the aircraft under a military type certificate have sadly seen many of them remain grounded or rarely flown since the transfer.
The Air Force will continue to operate other 100 Squadron aircraft for flying displays from Temora, including a Tiger Moth, a Lockheed Hudson, two Spitfires, a CAC Boomerang, and a CAC Wirraway.
Point Cook aircraft that will continue to be operated include a CAC Mustang, a T-6 Harvard, a CAC Winjeel, a Tiger Moth, and a Sopwith Pup.
TAM said in a separate statement that while the announcement was a “significant change to the agreement that we entered into”, it understood the “rationale for the reduction in the 100SQN operational fleet”.
“The museum will now conduct its own internal review into how to find the best way forward in displaying the aircraft,” it reads. “However, now that we understand what the future looks like, we will be conducting an internal review to find the best way forward. The focus will be to ensure that Temora Aviation Museum prospers for the decades ahead.”
Region contacted TAM to ask whether any of the aircraft could be returned to flight, with CEO Peter Harper saying his immediate priority within that review is the return of the aircraft to the museum’s collection.
“At this stage, those aircraft will be accepted back as static display items,” he said.
“With respect to the possibility of any aircraft returning to flight, it would be premature for me to comment at this time. That question forms part of longer-term considerations which are yet to be assessed.”
